Unfazed, Davies continued to explore the rock opera format. He started work on another musical, Starmaker, for the BBC that eventually became Soap Opera, a spring 1975 release that was again critically dismissed. A third rock opera, 1976’s Schoolboys in Disgrace, found the band trying a harder rock sound but to little notice.
The Kinks then moved to Arista Records and continued to develop a hard-rock edge, but Arista insisted on one big rule—no more concept albums. Dalton departed, replaced by Andy Pyle. 1977’s Sleepwalker returned the Kinks as to the charts, reaching number 21 and launching the band into arenas.
Dalton returned for 1978’s Misfits, which included “A Rock & Roll Fantasy,” a Kinks concert staple for two decades. After a British tour, Dalton and Gosling departed, replaced by bassist Jim Rodford and keyboardist Gordon Edwards. The Kinks sound became even more commercially oriented on 1979’s Low Budget, their biggest U.S. album (reaching number 11).
1981’s Give the People What They Want scored another top 20 appearance, and after a yearlong tour in 1982, the Kinks proved their popularity with a new generation when “Come Dancing” became an MTV hit. The oft-played video drove the single up to number 6; their biggest U.S. hit since “Tired of Waiting for You” in 1965.
While new songs such as “Destroyer,” “Catch Me Now I’m Falling” and “Do It Again” defined the sound of the Kinks in the 1980s, legions of younger musicians showed their allegiance—and scored hits of their own—by mining the early Kinks catalog. Van Halen scored big in 1978 with a wild version of “You Really Got Me”; the Pretenders recorded a faithful rendition of “Stop Your Sobbing,” and U.K. upstarts the Jam were noted for a frenetic cover of “David Watts.” These presaged a flood of bands that seemed to suddenly rediscover and revere the Kinks; England’s huge mid-’90s Britpop wave—spearheaded by Davies devotees Blur and Oasis—practically owed its existence to the Kinks. Davies himself commented during this period on the acts that embraced the Kinks with the satirical “Prince of the Punks” and “Permanent Wave.”
While the band was thus peaking, Ray Davies turned his attention to a film project, Return to Waterloo, which reinvigorated tensions between him and Dave. They agreed to reform the Kinks lineup, replacing longtime drummer Avory with Bob Henrit. They recorded 1984’s Word of Mouth with the new lineup, but the album failed to crack the top 40.
Ray and Dave Davies continued to record and tour as the Kinks until 1996, but never again scored a hit album or single under the band’s name. The original lineup of Ray and Dave Davies, Peter Quaife and Mick Avory was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The night before the induction ceremony, Ray said, “The Kinks have always been outsiders. I’m an outsider. To be accepted is unique for us. I’m pleased for the people who believed in me all along. It’s nice for them to know that their faith wasn’t misplaced.”
Since the Kinks disbanded in the mid-1990s, Ray Davies has embarked on a successful solo career, recording albums and touring extensively with his acclaimed “Storyteller” program of music and anecdotes. Dave Davies has also occasionally toured, although health issues have proved troublesome. Avory subsequently toured with other British Invasion musicians. Quaife moved to Canada and worked as a political cartoonist and airbrush artist before passing away on June 24, 2010.
The Kinks then moved to Arista Records and continued to develop a hard-rock edge, but Arista insisted on one big rule—no more concept albums. Dalton departed, replaced by Andy Pyle. 1977’s Sleepwalker returned the Kinks as to the charts, reaching number 21 and launching the band into arenas.
Dalton returned for 1978’s Misfits, which included “A Rock & Roll Fantasy,” a Kinks concert staple for two decades. After a British tour, Dalton and Gosling departed, replaced by bassist Jim Rodford and keyboardist Gordon Edwards. The Kinks sound became even more commercially oriented on 1979’s Low Budget, their biggest U.S. album (reaching number 11).
1981’s Give the People What They Want scored another top 20 appearance, and after a yearlong tour in 1982, the Kinks proved their popularity with a new generation when “Come Dancing” became an MTV hit. The oft-played video drove the single up to number 6; their biggest U.S. hit since “Tired of Waiting for You” in 1965.
While new songs such as “Destroyer,” “Catch Me Now I’m Falling” and “Do It Again” defined the sound of the Kinks in the 1980s, legions of younger musicians showed their allegiance—and scored hits of their own—by mining the early Kinks catalog. Van Halen scored big in 1978 with a wild version of “You Really Got Me”; the Pretenders recorded a faithful rendition of “Stop Your Sobbing,” and U.K. upstarts the Jam were noted for a frenetic cover of “David Watts.” These presaged a flood of bands that seemed to suddenly rediscover and revere the Kinks; England’s huge mid-’90s Britpop wave—spearheaded by Davies devotees Blur and Oasis—practically owed its existence to the Kinks. Davies himself commented during this period on the acts that embraced the Kinks with the satirical “Prince of the Punks” and “Permanent Wave.”
While the band was thus peaking, Ray Davies turned his attention to a film project, Return to Waterloo, which reinvigorated tensions between him and Dave. They agreed to reform the Kinks lineup, replacing longtime drummer Avory with Bob Henrit. They recorded 1984’s Word of Mouth with the new lineup, but the album failed to crack the top 40.
Ray and Dave Davies continued to record and tour as the Kinks until 1996, but never again scored a hit album or single under the band’s name. The original lineup of Ray and Dave Davies, Peter Quaife and Mick Avory was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The night before the induction ceremony, Ray said, “The Kinks have always been outsiders. I’m an outsider. To be accepted is unique for us. I’m pleased for the people who believed in me all along. It’s nice for them to know that their faith wasn’t misplaced.”
Since the Kinks disbanded in the mid-1990s, Ray Davies has embarked on a successful solo career, recording albums and touring extensively with his acclaimed “Storyteller” program of music and anecdotes. Dave Davies has also occasionally toured, although health issues have proved troublesome. Avory subsequently toured with other British Invasion musicians. Quaife moved to Canada and worked as a political cartoonist and airbrush artist before passing away on June 24, 2010.
